How to choose what to do on your holidays in Rome
If you are planning holidays in Rome, you may be wondering what to do in the days you have available. Rome is a huge city, full of beauty and charm. Its history and the testimonies of its past glory are scattered throughout the city, from archaeological areas to museums, from churches to noble palaces. Its ancient and modern charm unfolds through streets, alleys, squares and viewpoints made unforgettable by the cinema masterpieces made from the 1950s onwards. And then there is the popular culture: Rome is home to fabulous local markets full of culinary specialties and excellent food and wine. There is also no shortage of restaurants, taverns, trattorias, ice cream parlors, pizzerias and cooking schools in which to satisfy your palate and your desire to learn to recognize and prepare the great classics of Roman and Italian cuisine.
3 tips for choosing what to do among the thousand opportunities for a vacation in Rome
In such a large and densely populated city, made up of historic and modern neighborhoods, where many Italians express their creativity and expertise every day in galleries, shops, kitchens and laboratories, it is not easy to choose the activities to focus on during the holidays. For this reason, we have decided to give you 3 fundamental tips, focusing on the aspects that are closest to our hearts at Insideat: eating and drinking well and the immersiveness of the experiences to be lived.
- Focus on the authentic Rome
Rome is huge, it is impossible to know it all. The Romans themselves do not know a large part of the neighborhoods of the Capital. Each Rione (quarter) often contains everything a resident needs, without the need to travel many kilometers to reach it. Neighborhood life is a legacy that comes from the past and true Romans know the value of this aspect. It is about friendship, sincerity, trust towards neighborhood shopkeepers and towards the people who share the fact of living in this corner of the world so fortunate and full of wonders. Visiting historic and authentic neighborhoods such as Trastevere, Testaccio, the Historic Center or the Prati District will also give the modern curious traveler the feeling of becoming a little Roman. Yet you need the right guide and Insideat has an idea for you, that is, to book and participate with us in the best Food tour of Trastevere available today in Rome. Obviously if you want to enjoy more of the artistic and architectural beauties, the historic center is the best location. We suggest you take part in our food tour of the center of Rome, for example, to discover the food and wine excellences in the food shops that are actually chosen every day by true Romans. If instead you want to dive into the most folkloristic and people-friendly Rome, you can visit the historic area of Testaccio. Insideat offers you a food tour of Testaccio to discover the culinary treasures hidden in this picturesque neighborhood. If you are looking for a more glamorous place, with shops, restaurants and hotels, the Prati neighborhood is the best solution, since it is close to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Square. The great thing is that in all these neighborhoods you will find the real and genuine Rome, ready to let you know the beauty and goodness of its culture.
- Visit the local markets and artisan workshops
If you want to experience Rome like a local, you have to do what the Romans do. Here are some examples: breakfast at the neighborhood bar, perhaps sitting at a table in the square; a snack in the pizzerias and rotisseries where you can try pizza al taglio (sliced pizza), supplì (fried riceballs with ragù and mozzarella) and other typical Roman fried foods; an ice cream in the best gelato shops; but above all a nice tour of the local markets in search of food excellence, among the scents and colors that only the Italian countryside can offer. Let’s see some examples.
- The Trionfale Market in Rome, the largest Italian market
The Trionfale Market (Mercato Trionfale) in Rome is located in the Prati district, a few dozen meters from the Vatican Museums. It has about 200 stalls where you can find everything you are looking for, from typical products to rare Italian foods. Inside you will also find bakeries, fresh pasta shops and wine bars where you can sample and buy local wine. Visiting the entire market takes a lot of time, for this reason Insideat has decided to create a private experience, dedicated to those who want to treat themselves to a guided tour of the market, visiting the stalls that offer the best products, to also be able to sample them. By booking our Market tour & Italian cooking experience in Rome, you can visit the market together with our accompanying chefs and immediately afterwards participate in one of our cooking classes:
- Pizza Class;
- Pasta Class;
- Gelato and fettuccine class;
- Fettuccine and tiramisu class;
- Pasta, ravioli & Tiramisu class.
- The Testaccio Market, the temple of Roman street food
The Testaccio Market (Mercato Testaccio) is probably the most authentic market in Rome. It is located near the former slaughterhouse, which is why it is often considered the best for those who want to buy meat of all kinds, including beef and sheep offal and, a basic ingredient of traditional and popular Roman cuisine. Just think that in the original recipe of the famous Roman supplì al telefono (rice balls with a stringy mozzarella heart) the ragù that seasons the rice is traditionally prepared with chicken offal. If you want to know this and other curiosities and if you want to taste the best of Roman street food, book the delicious Testaccio street food tour with Insideat. During the tour you can also visit important monuments and places of interest such as the Pyramid of Cestius, Mount Testaccio, the former Slaughterhouse and Lungotevere Testaccio, mixing with the locals for a true taste of Rome. Insideat’s Testaccio food tour offers a unique and engaging experience, taking you off the beaten track to discover the heart of Roman culture and cuisine.
- Campo de’ Fiori Market, the heart of Romanity
It is no secret that between Piazza Navona and Campo de’ Fiori you can experience the true heart of Rome. The soul of this territory is here, in the Campo de’ Fiori market, in its voices, in its faces, in the stalls set up early in the morning and dismantled at lunchtime, every day! Since the times of the Dolce Vita, those who come to Rome have wanted to immerse themselves in Roman life, in the customs and habits of the Romans, to live a few days like them, eat like them, shop like them, walk like them and have fun like them. Insideat offers a fantastic food tour of the center of Rome, to discover the food and wine excellences of the food shops that are chosen every day by true Romans.
- Choose the most immersive and reliable experiences
Nowadays there is a lot of talk about experiential tourism, immersive activities and living your holidays in Rome as if you were a local. Insideat was one of the first Italian companies to embrace this philosophy and to build its own proposal with the aim of giving its customers unique emotions from this point of view. Not everyone is able to guarantee the quality standards that we can guarantee. Do you want to put us to the test? For example, ask yourself this question: how much do you know about traditional Roman cuisine? Are you a real foodie and how much do you know about authentic Roman cuisine? Here is an idea for the perfect Roman dinner during your holiday in Rome: a typical Roman dinner organized by Insideat, during which you can taste carbonara, amatriciana and cacio e pepe made to perfection with top-quality ingredients! The venue will be the PummaRe Restaurant which is located a stone’s throw from the Vatican Museums.
But that’s not all! Rome is now one of the Italian capitals of pizza, a dish born in Napoli that then evolved also in Rome where the best pan pizzas and crispy round pizzas full of exceptional ingredients are produced. In Rome Insideat teaches you in an hour how to prepare a round pizza according to the rules of art, which you can then taste comfortably at the table accompanied by excellent local wine or other drinks of your choice. Click here to discover all the most authentic and immersive cooking classes in Rome offered by Insideat.
